Paul Sierpinski, assistant NASA Recovery Director, poses for a portrait onboard USS John P. Murtha, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Test Director (NTD) Christine St. Germain consults with fellow NTD Paul Sierpinski on day 2 of Underway Recovery Test 9 (URT-9) aboard the USS John P. Murtha. During the weeklong test, NASA’s Landing and Recovery team is performing their final mission certification ahead of Artemis I.